Fearless Pursuit (Off The Grid: FBI Series Book 8)

by Barbara Freethy

  "That would be a good bet, although he's not mentioned in Natasha's journals, at least not in her diaries."

  As Jax drew in a breath and let it out, Maya felt a wave of sympathy for him. They could be talking about the man who murdered his parents. This wasn't just a case to him anymore; it was very, very personal.

  "I don't want us to waste time on Novikoff," Jax said. "He's dead. We need to focus on Constantine. He's linked to everything: my parents' disappearance, Natasha's murder, the intelligence operation being run first through the Russia House and now through the Firebird Club. We need to tie him to the best pieces of evidence we can find."

  "I might be able to help you with that," Brandon interrupted as he came through the door, with a gleam of excitement in his dark eyes. He set his laptop on the table as Beck re-entered the room with copies of Jax's father's notes. Those went untouched as everyone's attention turned to Brandon.

  "What did you find?" Jax asked.

  "A lot," Brandon replied, his gaze moving to Maya. "Your grandmother was extremely detailed."

  Something else she hadn't known about her grandmother. She wondered if she'd finally get the real picture of Natasha.

  "Natasha was recruited by Constantine Dimitrov while she was married to her first husband, Maya's grandfather, Phillip Ashton," Brandon said.

  "I thought she got involved with Constantine after her second marriage," Maya put in.

  "No," Brandon replied. "Constantine promised her the film career she wanted. All she had to do was help him, and she would get her dream of stardom. Her first mission was to get Wallace Jagger to represent her and to infiltrate his media company. She was successful at both."

  "Wallace was a target?" she asked in surprise.

  Brandon met her gaze. "He was the first of many to get caught in her honey trap."

  “Honey trap?" she echoed.

  "Someone who lures people in with sex or with promises of sex, possibly even love," Jax explained.

  "Oh, great," she said dryly.

  "Do you want to hear all this?" Jax asked.

  "I don't want to, but I need to. Keep going, Brandon."

  "Natasha's career took off with Jagger's help. Constantine asked her to divorce Ashton so she could more freely pursue Jagger. Their relationship got to marriage, but it didn't last long. Once they had wrung Jagger dry, Natasha was ordered to leave him so that she could be free to pursue other targets." Brandon consulted the screen in front of him. "Daniel Bragin was the next one on the list. Bragin's tech companies were rich with data, and she was able to get into Bragin's office where she planted spy equipment and also copied reports she found in his files. Her success in penetrating Bragin's security drew attention from Constantine's bosses back in Moscow. They wanted to expand her reach, and they wanted someone else to handle her. That someone was Edward Coleman."

  "Coleman," Jax muttered. "I thought he was American, and he was vetted through politics."

  "He was born in the US," Brandon said. "His personal story was true, but his parents' story was not. His father was KGB, and his parents came to the US in the sixties under the name Coleman. They ran a restaurant in Sacramento, near the capitol for a long time, a restaurant that was also a funnel into California politics. Coleman later moved to LA, working his way through the DA's office until he got the top job in the state as attorney general."

  "And he was a spy?" she asked in amazement.

  "Yes," Brandon replied.

  "I'd guess he still is," Jax added.

  "What happened next?" Maya asked. "My grandmother started working for Coleman?"

  "Yes, but she didn't like him. She was scared of him. He was physically abusive toward her, and she wanted out. She talked to Constantine, but he said his hands were tied, and that Coleman would never hurt her."

  "Is Coleman the one who killed her?"

  "We're not there yet," Brandon said. "There are a few other things you need to know. The most important one is that your grandmother decided to take back control of her life. She approached an FBI agent by the name of Carl Wilson, and she became a double agent."

  "What?" both she and Jax echoed at the same time.

  Brandon nodded, a gleam in his eyes. "Another twist, right? Natasha wanted to get back at Constantine and Coleman, not just for herself but also for Julia."

  "What was Julia's role?" she asked.

  "Coleman wanted to run Julia, too. She was alone after her father got kicked off the pro circuit for illegal gambling. Julia was a star. She could get in anywhere. She was also vulnerable and scared. She told Natasha that Coleman raped her. Natasha thought Coleman probably would have done the same to her, except that Constantine was still watching over her, and Coleman and Constantine were partners. Natasha told Julia to quit the tour, which made her less appealing to Coleman. Natasha helped Julia fake her injuries so that she was laid up and then in rehab miles away from Coleman. She also gave Julia money to start over."

  "So their friendship was real. Julia didn't dislike Natasha at all. Constantine steered us in the wrong direction," she said.

  "Let's get back to Natasha being an FBI asset," Jax said. "There's no record of her anywhere in our files, right?"

  "Right," Flynn agreed. "Caitlyn and I checked every database we have."

  "It was off book," Brandon said. "Natasha told Wilson there were other spies at the bureau. He couldn't take the chance that she was right. He used her in a big operation called Moonlight, which outed eight Russian spies."

  "That was Natasha?" Caitlyn asked, amazement in her eyes. Her gaze swung to Maya's. "That operation was huge. It was an intelligence coup."

  "But that operation didn't take down Constantine or Coleman," Jax put in. "Why not?"

  "Wilson didn't want to blow Natasha's cover," Brandon explained. "He wanted to keep using her, so he let them go. That decision was costly. A week later, Natasha was dead."

  A heavy pall came over the room at Brandon's words.

  "They killed her," Maya whispered. "They found out what she had done."

  Brandon nodded, his expression now grim.

  "What about Wilson?" Jax demanded. "Why didn't he go after them?"

  "He died of a heart attack two days after Natasha's death. There was no autopsy. It appeared to be natural causes. But I suspect that it was not."

  "No one else at the bureau knew about my grandmother's involvement?" she asked.

  "No one who is mentioned in Natasha's book," Brandon replied. "I looked up Wilson after I deciphered this. That's when I realized how soon after her death that he died. I assume he probably started an off-book investigation into her death, but it was never completed."

  "He got her killed. He should have brought her in after she helped him bring down all those spies," she said hotly, anger running through her. "But he left her out there." She looked over at Jax, seeing the reluctant agreement in his gaze. "He had to know she was in danger."

  "She was always in danger," Jax said. "From the first moment she started working for Constantine. She sold her soul for her career. But in the end, she did the right thing for the country who'd given her so much."

  "And she lost her life because the FBI wanted more from her." She saw mixed emotions on the faces of the other agents. "I—I need a minute." She got up and walked out of the room. Jax, of course, followed her, steering her into a kitchen that was thankfully empty.

  "Are you all right?" he asked.

  She sat down at the kitchen table. "I don't know how I feel. It's a lot to take in."

  He sat down across from her. "You need time to process."

  "Yes, I do. First, I have to accept that my grandmother was a Russian spy and then I have to accept that she was a double agent." She shook her head in bewilderment. "I guess what I really feel right now is confusion, sadness, and anger. I know she made her choice to get involved with Constantine. That's on her. But this Wilson kept using her after she helped him break up a huge ring of spies. He should have protected her."

  "I agr
ee."

  "You do? Are you sure? Would you have done the same as him, sacrificed Natasha to get more spies?"

  He looked into her eyes. "I don't want to lie to you, Maya. It's always a fine line. Assets are people who live in two worlds, and we can never fully protect them. Sometimes they choose to walk away, and we help them disappear. Others choose to keep being assets. Their motives range from money to power to thrills, to finally feeling like they're making a difference somewhere."

  "What if she didn't choose to stay on? What if they forced her? What if she was too scared to say no to this Wilson guy or to Constantine? What if she was just trapped?"

  "She had choices, Maya. And her choice was to work with the FBI. I think she was evening the scales between the good and the evil she had done. She wanted her son to be proud of her. The last thing she ever wrote in her journal was that she wanted to make things right for her son."

  "You're right. I thought those lines were about getting him off drugs, being a better mother, but in light of what we know now, maybe they were about her finally choosing to do the right thing." She paused. "And maybe that choice was also because of Julia. God, Julia! They killed her to stop me from asking her questions. That poor woman. She ran away a long time ago and probably thought she was safe after thirty-six years, but she wasn't. And her death is on me."

  "Her death is on the hands of the person who killed her."

  She met his gaze. "Coleman or Constantine?"

  "I don't know."

  "I'm thinking it was Coleman, because when Constantine talked to me about Natasha's death, there was real pain his eyes. He did love her."

  "That doesn't mean he didn't kill her."

  "True."

  "It also doesn't have to be one or the other. They could have been in on everything together."

  She frowned at that suggestion. "Which raises another question. I know the agent handling Natasha died, so maybe her identity, her death, was not seen as murder, but the bureau knew about Constantine and Coleman, right? Why didn't they go after them once Natasha was out of the picture?"

  "I can't answer that question without doing more research, but my gut says that Wilson kept some of that information away from the other agents. He was protecting his pipeline from a possible mole in the organization. I'm not saying it was right. But we need to know more."

  "So, what happens now? Do you start making arrests?" He hesitated, and she frowned. "You're not going to arrest them, Jax?"

  "Not this second. We need to put together a good case, Maya, and right now we have a foundation, but we need more. If we move too fast, they could disappear, or they could get away, and we can't let that happen."

  She weighed his words. "Is that the reason? Or is it because you don't want to blow your other case?"

  "I don't want to blow any of our cases, which now include the death of my parents. I'm as motivated as you are to lock these people up. But we need to put it all together, so we can take them down, along with every one of their associates. We need more proof."

  She knew he had a lot at stake, and she believed he would do his best, but she still hated the idea of Constantine and Coleman being free for one more minute. "How are you going to get that proof?" she asked.

  "A lot of different ways. We'll have my entire team working on this. We can start talking to the people who were targets, like Bragin and Jagger. David, Sylvia's son, could also be a huge source of information. He's Coleman's grandson, and he's right in the middle of what's going on now."

  "Do you think Sylvia knows who her father is?"

  Jax nodded. "I'm sure she does. Alexander probably knows about his uncle's activities as well. We have four decades of crimes and two generations to work through. I know you want us to arrest them today—"

  "I do want you to do that. You said your task force moves fast."

  "We will move faster than anyone else, but it won't be this minute. However, we will be working all night on this."

  "I'll help."

  "You can't help with this part, Maya."

  She frowned at his words. "You're cutting me out now?"

  "I'm not cutting you out. You've done all you can do. I think you should go to your sister's house. You need to talk to your dad anyway. Tell him what you've learned. Maybe he'll be able to remember things that might be important to us now."

  She made a face at him. "I kind of hate how often you're right."

  He smiled. "And I kind of love how amazing you are. You did a lot of this, Maya. You started this ball rolling. Without your interest in Natasha's death, we wouldn't have gotten this far so quickly."

  "Okay. I will go to Darcy's house and fill my family in on what's happened. I don't have a car, though. Can I borrow yours?"

  "I'll have Beck or Caitlyn drive you there."

  "I don't need anyone to drive me."

  "Yes, you do. You're still in danger. And I'll make sure the security at your sister's house is in place and aware of how serious this all is. Until we get these players off the board, you need to be very careful."

  As Jax finished speaking, Caitlyn came into the room. "How's it going in here?" she asked.

  "Maya is going to go to her sister's house in Carlsbad. She needs a ride," Jax replied.

  "I'd be happy to drive you," Caitlyn offered.

  "Are you sure you're not needed here?"

  "I can take the time." Caitlyn put a large envelope on the table. "Jax, take a look at what's inside when you get a chance."

  He nodded. "Thanks."

  "I'll just get my bag and keys," Caitlyn added. "I'll be in the bullpen when you're ready, Maya."

  As Caitlyn left, they got to their feet. She was going to head straight for the door, but Jax pulled her into his arms, giving her a warm hug. They hadn't gotten this close since she'd learned he was an FBI agent who had been lying to her. She should pull away, but it felt too good to be in his embrace. So she let herself linger, let herself feel the connection between them, even if it might be for the last time.

  She lifted her gaze to his. "I'm trusting you to bring them to justice, Jax."

  "I won't let you down," he promised. "Maya, there are things I want to say to you."

  "But you can't, not now."

  "Later." He hesitated, a suddenly desperate need in his eyes. "I have no right to ask, but can I—"

  She cut off the question by pressing her mouth to his, and the searing heat between them bonded them once more. Then she slipped out of his embrace.

  "Be safe," he said. "I'll call you as soon as I know anything."

  "You better."

  "Good luck with your family. They should be proud you got to the truth."

  "I'm not sure pride will come into play, but the truth will be told."

  She walked out of the kitchen and met up with Caitlyn. They rode down the elevator together and then Caitlyn unlocked a sporty red Audi.

  "This is a much nicer ride than Jax's car," she said, as she got inside. "His sedan is boring."

  Caitlyn smiled. "That's his cover car. See the black Jeep? That's his actual car."

  "Oh, that makes more sense," she said, as Caitlyn pulled out of the garage.

  The woman drove with speed and confidence, and within minutes they were heading south on the freeway.

  "Jax told me you met at Quantico," she said.

  "We did. The first week, they broke us into teams of six. Jax and I were assigned to the same group along with Flynn and Beck, Savannah and Lucas. We all work for Flynn now, along with some of our other former classmates and a few specialists like Brandon, who is a cyber whiz."

  "I still can't believe my grandmother knew how to code or that she was not only a spy, but a double agent. I thought she was just an actress, a party girl, a woman who liked to sleep with a lot of men and leave broken hearts in her wake. She was a far more complicated person than I ever imagined."

  "Most people are. That's one thing I've learned since becoming an agent. Almost no one is who they appear to be."

>   "I'm learning that. I thought Jax was a bartender until earlier today."

  Caitlyn gave her a thoughtful look. "Lies are often part of the job. But off the job, I'd have to say that Jax is one of the most straightforward guys I know. He doesn't play games. He is who he is."

  "I guess you know we got involved."

  "I know nothing about your relationship. I'm just saying," she added with a smile. "Although, I'm a good enough agent to see there's something personal between you."

  "There was. But changing the subject, what's it like being an agent?"

  "It can be incredibly exciting or excruciatingly dull, but there's always something new, and I like change. I like testing myself, pushing the limits."

  She could understand that. "I took on my grandmother's story because I wanted to push my limits. I wanted to do something bigger and bolder than I'd done before."

  "You accomplished that."

  "But at a huge price. Julia is dead. My house has burned to the ground. I have no clothes but what I'm wearing."

  "Sometimes truth costs a lot. Are you sorry you did it?"

  She thought about that. "No, I'm not. Natasha shares my blood. Even if she didn't always do the right thing, she's still family. And her death needs to be avenged. Her killers have to be brought to justice."

  "It will happen."

  "I hope so. But they've gotten away with her murder and who knows how many others for thirty-six years. Who's to say anyone can catch them now?"

  "Jax will have something to say about it. He's personally invested."

  "Yes, he is. He was shocked when he found out his father was mentioned in Natasha's journal, that he was at the Russia House, that he might have been involved in everything. And the way his parents died so mysteriously…they never found their bodies. I still wonder if they could possibly be alive, but Jax doesn't think so."

  "I'm sure we'll be looking into their deaths in great detail."

  "Did Jax tell you about them before all this?"

  "Yes. When we were at Quantico, we had some exercises where we had to reveal the most vulnerable part of ourselves. Jax talked about the loss of his parents and his identity. I helped him look into his parents when we first became agents, but we found nothing."